Cabinet approves setting up of joint ventures for railway infrastructure

New Delhi: The cabinet today approved the formation of joint venture companies with state governments to undertake various railway infrastructure projects.

“This would ensure greater participation of state governments in the implementation of railway projects both in terms of financial participation as well as the decision-making process,” a statement issued after a cabinet meeting said.

The railway ministry’s initial paid up capital will be restricted to Rs 50 crore for each state.

“Each Joint Venture would have an initial paid up capital of Rs.100 crore based on the quantum of projects to be undertaken. Further infusion of fund/equity for the purpose of the projects shall be done after approval of the project and its funding at the level of appropriate competent authority,” the statement said.

Project specific Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) can also be formed by the joint ventures with equity holding by other stakeholders like banks, ports, public sector undertakings, mining companies and others. (IANS)

The initiation of Integrated Railway Mobile App for Indian Railways was announced in the Rail Budget 2016-17.

Railway app enables you to book flight tickets to ordering food

Before the launch of Saarthi app, there were multiple mobile Railway apps

The app has been developed by the CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems), the Railways’ software arm

The Rail app Saarthi is launched by India’s Railways Minister, Mr Suresh Prabhu on 13th July 2017. The app enables you to book flight tickets to ordering food, this mobile application can do everything. The app is an integrated mobile application to cater all kinds of passenger requirements, which includes ticket booking, inquiry, onboard cleaning and ordering a meal on a single platform. At the launch event of the app, it was also announced that the extension in the advance booking period for foreigners to 365 days from present 120 days. Now a lower berth in a 3AC coach will be reserved for physically-challenged people and the middle for the individual accompanying them.

Suresh Prabhu said that with the launch of new app, they aim to provide better customer experience, there was a need for an integrated application which could give a single window interface for these services. Before the launch of Saarthi app, there were multiple mobile Railway apps and to use different services, the user had to search and download each application separately.

The Rail ‘Saarthi’ app stands for, “Synergised Advanced Application Rail Travel Help and Information. Apart from providing impeccable facilities and services, the app also caters to features such as safety for women, compliant facility, booking porter, retiring room and suggestion for improvement. Moreover, the app can now also be used for booking taxis and hotels. Interestingly, you can also book air ticket through the app and give feedback. When it comes adding some more benefits then, in addition, Indian railways presented an integrated mobile application to cater to various passenger requirements, including ticket booking, inquiry, on-board cleaning and ordering meal on a single platform.

The app is an integrated mobile application to cater all kinds of passenger requirements, which includes ticket booking, inquiry, onboard cleaning and ordering a meal on a single platform.

The app has been developed by the CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems), the Railways’ software arm. The estimated cost of in building the app has been Rs 7 crore. The initiation of Integrated Railway Mobile App for Indian Railways was announced in the Rail Budget 2016-17. The official had said that there are other multiple Railway apps which cater to various passenger requirement, including onboard cleaning but most of them offer only a single service. These apps can be searched and downloaded separately. This gave rise to the need of providing a single window interface for these services.

In order to provide better customer experience, there was a need for an assimilated app, which could give a single window interface for such kind of facilities, Prabhu said after launching the app.

You will see an ‘Install’ button. Clicking on that will download and install the app on your device.

Once installed, you will have to log in to the app after creating a ‘Sign In’ ID.

In order to download the application, you need to go to Google Play Store on your Android smartphones. Thereafter, you need to search for the term “COMS – for RAIL SAARTHI”. This is the newly launched app. At the landing page, you will see an ‘Install’ button. Just pressing on that will download and install the app on your device. Once installed, you will have to log in to the app after creating a ‘Sign In’ ID. The landing page on Google Play Store says, “App should be download in combination with SAARTHI app available at google play store.”

Indian railways presented an integrated mobile application to cater to various passenger requirements, including ticket booking, inquiry, on-board cleaning and ordering meal on a single platform.

Benefits Of Rail Saarthi Mobile App:

The new digital initiative will reduce the crowd on the ticket counter. Initially, the App was launched on the Android platform. The Railway Android app and Railway IOS app will soon be launched on Windows platform. Explain that till now the Railways had kept separate apps for different services but now all these workers will be done from the same app.

With the introduction of this app, the lower berth in a 3AC coach will be reserved for physically-challenged people and the middle for the individual accompanying them. However, in the 3AC coach of a train, there will be only one such berth. Until now, the facility was only in the sleeper class — 2 berths — which has now been extended to the 3AC as well. It has also extended the advance booking period for foreigners to 365 days from the present 120 days.